


Even Darkness Needs a Friend

by savinggrace



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Father Figure, Language, Realizations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7951255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savinggrace/pseuds/savinggrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico Di Angelo is learning how to shadow travel, and he accidentally stumbles into Bruce Banner's arms. They discover they are more alike than they would have guessed, and both need someone to confide in. Their friendship will change the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bruce

**Author's Note:**

> I have been posting this story to FanFiction, but I'm currently stuck on a difficult plot point, and so I decided to post it here to maybe get some more suggestions on what you guys want and what I need to work on. Please comment and tell me what you think, I have a thick skin and am always open to criticism! (Also, I know this chapter is short. It gets longer soon, and this was just the place where the first chapter needed to stop, cause this story switches between Nico and Bruce's third-person point of views)

**Bruce:**

Another person I couldn’t save. What’s the point of me being a doctor if I can’t even save the majority of my patients? Bruce Banner stalked back to the crappy apartment he had rented for the next couple of weeks, as he was never going to stay in one place for too long. And to make matters worse? It was a kid. Again. He wiped away the tears that were threatening to escape from his eyes, afraid of showing weakness while in public.

Even though he had only been in this Indian town for a week, he had already gained a reputation as a White Man’s Doctor. Doctors at all are scarce in these desolate places, but a White Man’s Doctor is even more rare. Thus, even though Bruce had only healed five of the twelve people he had attended to, they kept coming, hoping for a miracle. But he was quickly losing faith in himself. He had only barely managed to escape the U.S. a month prior, and he was still learning how to control his new…well, he didn’t know what to call it. A friend? An enemy? The only family he had left?

But he needed to do something while he learned, he needed to help people. That was what he had set out to do in the beginning, and now he couldn’t even save himself. He dragged himself up the stairs, wanting to get out of the public eye and pray that no one rushed into his apartment in the middle of the night, but not wanting to be alone. Because when he’s alone; that’s when the shadows seem to have hands that want to drag him into the darkness he feels inside.

Finally, he made it inside. The single room apartment was as desolate and depressing as it had been for the past week. A single chair and a table, both looking like they may fall apart before his time in this town is done. A couple of duffle bags, holding all of his possessions in the world. He added his medical bag to the stool at the side of his bed. He lit the candle that resided on his table, only minimally lighting up the dismal room. He was so sick to his stomach for allowing another child to die, that he couldn’t bare the thought of eating anything. So he spent the next few minutes reorganizing his medical supplies in case someone needed him in the middle of the night. Before too long, he blew out the candle and settled onto the hard mattress.

His memories haunted him though, and tonight, they refused to give him any peace. And so Bruce tossed and turned, seeing dead bodies every time he closed his eyes, and the alluring shadows every time he opened his eyes. Suddenly, one of the shadow’s hands solidified into a human hand, and then a small body tumbled out of the side of his wall, collapsing next to his bags. Banner stared at the body, afraid his nightmares had found a way to come into his waking moments. But then he realized he couldn't tell if the child was breathing, and threw himself off the bed and onto the floor next to the unknown kid.

He held his finger up to the side of the child’s neck, and sighed in relief when he felt a steady beat. He ensure the kid was breathing as well, before checking all over for any other injuries. He found a couple of bruises, but nothing too serious. Frowning in thought, he gently picked up the young boy and laid him on the bed, figuring it was better than the floor at least.

 _What the hell?_ Bruce thought. _Am I dreaming? How did he come out of the wall? Could he…could he be some sort of mutant?_ He shook his head, wondering why a mutant would be out here in India, and why they would come into his apartment. He hadn’t left any trail to be followed, and besides, the kid was out cold. That would be one heck of a plan to send in an unconscious child to capture him.

 _Unless that’s their plan? Get me to lower my guard and then swoop in before I can change?_ His eyes widened in fear. That was the topic of most of his nightmares; getting tricked into being captured easily and then tested on to figure out the intricacies of his mutation. He looked at the boy, who couldn’t be more than thirteen years old, and hoped, for the boy’s sake, that his fears would prove to be ungrounded. There was no other option than to wait until the boy woke up to find out exactly who he was and why he was here.


	2. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce learns nothing about who Nico is, except that Nico isn't quite....human. Nothing much happens here, I'm still trying to get into my stride in this story. The chapters get longer soon, I promise.

**Nico:**

Nico’s first thought is always about Bianca. The sister Percy failed. The sister who is no longer there to help him. _She said she’d always be here for me. But now, I have to figure out everything by myself._ Just then, Nico remembered that he had attempted to shadow travel again last night, and he couldn’t remember where he had landed. He scrunched his eyebrows together in thought, but came up with nothing. He decided to just open his eyes and hope that he hadn’t landed in some sort of monster den, as that was currently one of his greatest fears. But the moment his eyelids slitted apart, sunlight burst inside and nearly blinded him.

_Well, out of everything, I hadn’t expected there to be sunlight. How long was I out?_ He wondered. Just then, someone shifted to his left, drawing Nico’s focus there. It felt like the mystery person stared at Nico for several minutes, while Nico tried to figure how to open up his eyes without losing his sight. But he lost the race when the other person stood up and walked over to the left side of his face, blocking out the sunlight.

“You can open your eyes kid, I know the sunlight’s bright” came the voice of the mystery man. Nico kind of didn’t want to open his eyes, just out of spite, but he wanted to know who had been waiting for him to wake up. So he slowly slitted one eye open, and then the other, looking up at the gaunt face of a skinny, scared-looking man. He sat up slowly, trying to feel if he had any new bruises. He usually did, after shadow traveling to gods knows where. But surprisingly, he had fewer bruises than usual, and his body didn’t feel quite as sore as it normally did after passing out. He slowly looked back up at the man standing above him, and prayed to the gods that he was friendly. Because he suddenly stepped away, leaving Nico sitting in the middle of sunlight, with no shadows in sight. At least, no shadows big enough for him to travel away in.

Both of them looked at each other, trying to hide the fear that was only growing. Finally, the man sat down to Nico’s right, forcing Nico to turn around, placing the sun directly in the strangers vision. Nico didn’t want to start the conversation, who knew who this man was? He could be a god. _Oh gods, what if he is?_ _I haven’t done anything wrong!_ Nico though desperately, now refusing to make eye contact with the man in front of him. He looked at the buildings around him, buildings that looked like they should be condemned and torn down. _Where even am I? Did I land in China again?_

Eventually, after several minutes of silence and refusal to make eye contact, the older man spoke. “Are you here to kill me?”

_…Um…what?_ Out of all the possibilities that ran through Nico’s mind, that question was not one of them. _Well, at least I know he isn’t a god. Who is this man and why would he think I was here to kill him?_ “Well do you want to kill me? Cause I don’t even know who you are.”

The other man seemed both relieved and surprised. He was silent for several moments, still staring at Nico. He seemed to make a decision, and then said, “Well, that’s a relief. I…well, I’ve been hiding out here in case the US government decided to kill me or…never mind. My name is Bruce.”

Nico was surprised at Bruce’s readily surrendered information. He wondered if he could trust this man, who apparently had the government chasing him down to either kill him or something worse. _What could be worse? Could he be another demigod? But, the government doesn’t seem to know we exist. At least, I don’t think it does._ He took another look at Bruce. He seemed an honest bloke, but more importantly, someone who wouldn’t immediately think Nico was crazy if he blurted out something about demigods. He decided to just ask Bruce, very bluntly, if he was. “Are you…are you a half-blood?”

Bruce narrowed his eyebrows, but in confusion, not in recognition. “What does that even mean? Half…what?”

“You know…half human, half…”

“Half what? What are you talking about?”

Nico didn’t want to say anything now, Bruce was staring to look angry. He remembered angry…and it scared him. Even when Minos… _oh gods! Minos! I need to get back to the States! He’s going to be so angry with me for taking so long to get back!_ But, even when Minos got angry, it was never directed at him. But Bruce, he looked like he was trying to hold something in. As if…as if he was trying not to hurt Nico. He shrunk back from the older man, trying to subtly get into the shadows so he could leave before something bad happened.

But Bruce seemed to know what he was trying to do. He leaped forward and grabbed Nico’s arm. Nico yelped in surprise, trying to get out of the man’s surprisingly strong grasp. He looked wildly around, hoping that someone would be around who could get him away from the…green man in front of him? If Nico wasn’t hallucinating, it seemed as if Bruce’s skin was turning green! He stared at the man still gripping his arm, who seemed to realized what Nico was staring at. He loosened his grip on Nico, but did not let go. Bruce closed his eyes, and started breathing evenly and calmly.

This went on for several minutes, and the green tinge on Bruce’s skin slowly went away and his grip seemed to gradually weaken. But now, now Bruce had captured Nico’s attention. Obviously, something else was at work. He hadn’t seemed to understand what Nico meant when he said half-blood, which pretty much threw out the possibility of him being a demigod. Which left the question; just _what_ is the man who calls himself Bruce?


	3. Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk in this chapter!! Get ready for emotions, and feels, and generally me crying while I wrote this chapter (it's really not *that* bad, but I guess I'm just an emotional person).

**Bruce:**

"Half-monster? Is that what you think I am?" Bruce closed his eyes, still struggling to keep his temper in check. He could feel the other half of himself wanting to break out at what first seemed to be a threat. He threw up a mental barrier, because the last thing he wanted to do was seriously injure, or even kill a child.

Opening his eyes, he observed that the unusually young boy didn't seem as anxious to get away from him, which only served to confuse him even more. Bruce took a step back; the boy clothed in black actually seemed calm and aware at the same time. _Is he not scared of me? If I'm not mistaken, I started to transform, and it was definitely noticed. Who is this boy?_

"No". The kid shook his head, seeming to be talking to himself. "Not half-monster. I don't even know if that's possible…in fact I don't want to know." He gently forced Bruce's hand off of his arm and gave it back to him. Bruce was too shocked at how nonchalant the kid was acting to keep holding on to him. The kid looked sheepishly up at him, seeming to smile at how confused he looked. The kid ran a hand through his long black hair and answered the unasked question, "I don't think I ever introduced myself. My name is Nico, and I am definitely not with the government. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the military would want to experiment on me if they knew what I was, too.”

_What?!_ "What…what do you mean?" Bruce stared at Nico. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could such a young boy think such a terrible thought? Bruce was expecting fear and distrust, but instead he was receiving understanding and honesty? Nico must have sensed Bruce's conflicted emotions, and tried to fix the situation, and probably trying to avoid another almost-transformation.

"I understand you're suspicious of me, and trust me. I feel the same about you. But, there are beings out there who scare me a whole lot more than you do, no offense. Plus, I have this feeling that I can trust you. Maybe it's because you voice the same thoughts at me. But maybe it's because you're obviously not human either. Not completely, at least." The boy, Nico, gave a sideways look at Bruce, as if looking for agreement from the older man.

Bruce nodded, feeling the same sort of inexplicable trust for the boy. But, now that he was calmed down, his medical skills kicked in, and he noticed how pale and thin Nico was. He knew that he had no right to outright ask the kid why he looked so malnourished, but resolved to do so at the next best possible moment. Switching tracks, Bruce spoke. "What did you call me again?" he asked, the exact wording of the phrase escaping him for a moment.

"Half-blood. It's what we've been called for centuries. Millennium even." Nico replied, offhanded, instead obviously curious and focused about what was bothering the older man.

"Half-blood, huh?" Bruce sorted through his memories. That sounded familiar, but why? It was like something he learned years ago, and decided it wasn't important, and so buried deep within his other thoughts. Bruce pondered it again from a new angle; half-blood. Half what exactly? He walked back inside, with a comment that he would be right back, and grabbed some water bottles. Offering Nico some water (which was taken from his hand rather suspiciously), Bruce nudged Nico to solve the obvious puzzle between them. "That term, Half-Blood, sounds familiar, as if I should know what it means, but I don't. If you don't mind, could you explain it to me?”

Just then, a group of children came rushing down the street, headed straight for them. Bruce swiftly stood up and motioned for Nico to do the same. His house was at a well-travelled area, and he sensed it was making Nico uncomfortable, confirming his thoughts that if Nico would reveal anything, it would definitely be sensitive information. He knew a stretch of forest not too far away from the village, where few people went. "Do you mind if you hold off answering until we go somewhere no one can hear us? If your secret is anything like mine, you don't want…normal people to hear you.”

Nico smiled, the first true smile Bruce had seen on his face. He nodded, "Yeah. I mean, the mortals would probably just think I'm crazy for claiming the things I do, so they will probably just ignore me and hope I went away." He motioned for Bruce to lead the way, and then followed close behind. _Mortals?_ Bruce gave a mental shrug and allowed Nico to lead him; the village could do without it's doctor for a day.

Nico was inhumanly quiet as he walked, as if the ground shrank beneath his feet. Bruce inadvertently quickened his pace as he walked, as if some ancient power was telling him that he was only putting himself in more danger. But he ignored the feelings, and walked into the shady forest with a fixed purpose. All he wanted to do now was find out more about the mysterious child behind him and why he felt that, out of anyone he'd ever know, Nico truly understood his struggles. Of course, others had come and gone, but Bruce hadn't met anyone with such a unique situation since he left the United States to escape S.H.E.I.L.D and all the attention.

Several times he had to look back at Nico to make sure he was still there. Once they had reached the shady part of the forest, Nico had become even quieter. _As if that was actually possible_ , a voice in the back of his head commented. Bruce knew these were the actions of a person often put in danger, but he didn't want to believe that anyone would put a child in that situation. Once or twice, when he looked back at Nico, it seemed as if the boy was staring into the shadows, searching for something. Bruce knew that Nico could see him doing the same, making sure they were not followed, but continued searching the dark woods. So what is Nico looking for that he thinks Bruce can't see?

Bruce kept them walking for another ten minutes after Nico already deemed the woods secluded enough to make sure no one was creeping along behind them. He selected a particularly soft-looking clearing in the middle of the trees, and motioned for Nico to sit down next to him. Leaning back on a tree himself, he watched Nico specifically choose to sit in one of the few patches of sunlight, avoiding to look into Bruce's eyes, and stretched his arms. They looked at each other for a few moments, until Nico appeared to have gathered the courage to explain. "Half-blood. You probably guessed it means that I'm half-human, but you're not gonna want to believe what the other half of me is."

Nico seemed nervous, as if he was afraid Bruce would misconstrue his words again. "I think you'll find I will believe whatever you have to say. However, what I am, that…that you're not going to want to believe." Bruce tried to relax as much as possible, to keep as calm as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was get angry and either hurt Nico or, run off and leave him in the middle of the woods without a guide back.

Nico took a deep breath, looking at the shadows again, this time looking for resolve. "God." He said, matter-of-factly. "Greek god to be specific; Hades to be even more specific. I'm half-human, half-god. I'm a son of Hades”

Bruce blinked. Well. He...he was not expecting that. But, the Greek gods were myths; they were proven to have been made up. There's… _there's no way that this child in front of me is the son of a Greek god._ Bruce was quiet for several minutes, before he decided to just accept the situation. Because really, knowing his own life, he should be more accepting of impossible stories.

Finally, he looked back at Nico, who was half looking at him, and half looking at the ground. He seemed scared of Bruce, to his dismay. Bruce caught Nico's eyes, and forced himself to look as friendly as possible. He took a deep breath, "Okay. I'll be honest with you, Nico, I don't want to believe you. But," he added, seeing Nico's look of indignation, "But, after everything that's happened to me, I think that I can. Just, please explain it to me. Last I heard, the Greek gods were not real. So, please. Explain it to me. I'll try to keep an open mind." After all, Bruce was, first and foremost, a scientist. So, if the presence of Greek gods was real, it will throw everything he knew out the window. _But, for the kid's sake, I'll go along with it_ , Bruce thought.

Nico took a deep breath; where is he supposed to start? "Like I said, my father is Hades, the god of Underworld. The Greek gods are most definitely not fake; believe me, my life would be a lot easier if they were." He smiled darkly, looking nervously up at the sky. "Half-blood, it's the term we use to describe those who have a Greek god or goddess as one of their parents. We're also called demigods, it's really personal preference which one you use.”

"So, like Hercules and those guys, right?" Bruce asked, to be sure he understood what Nico was saying.

"Yeah, exactly. Hercules, who was a son of Zeus." He paused, probably collecting his thoughts on what he wanted to say next. "The Greek gods have always existed, as far I've been told. They aren't in Greece anymore though; they've moved around as the heart of Western Civilization has moved. They're currently on top of the Empire State Building.”

Nico noticed the look of confusion on Bruce's face, and laughed. "Yeah, sorry. I've never had to explain this to a mortal before, I'm probably just confusing you.”

"Mortal?" Bruce scrunched up his face in thought. He was was genuinely curious what Nico meant, having never been called a 'mortal' before. "It's just what we call anyone who's not, like, a demigod or god or monster. A normal person. Honestly, I have no idea why, since it seems I'm just as mortal as you, but." He gave another childish smile, "I'm sorry if the term offended you before. Using it is just a habit for me, sorry. I really just want to be trusted for once”.

Bruce took a couple of moments to decide whether he wanted to trust Nico the same way Nico was trusting him. "You already know I'm not entirely 'mortal' as you say, but I'm not what you think. I…I don't know how to explain what I am to you.”

Nico smiled darkly, looking at Bruce's chest. "I can tell you're human though. Min…my mentor has been teaching me to control the abilities that come with being a son of Hades, and one of them is," He air-quoted, " 'Seeing souls'. It's not really seeing though, more like just knowing it's there. If you were a monster or something, I wouldn't have stayed here. You're human.”

He looked, smiling, back up at Bruce's face, childlike, trusting,and innocent, but Bruce could see hints of darkness and danger in his eyes.

Bruce stared at those eyes in shock and confusion. _He can see souls?_ , Bruce thought, _What other powers does this kid have? And he thinks I'm still human? Even though I'm a monster, he says I'm still human?_. Bruce knew it wasn't true, and felt the need to warn the boy. Nico did not need him as a friend. There were simply too many dangers involved. "I…my soul…”, He shook his head, “But I am a monster Nico. It doesn't matter if I still have my soul. I'm…I'm pretty sure that my other half doesn’t."

Now it was Nico's turn to look confused. "Other half?”

"Yes. I guess it's my turn to give you my life story. I may not have been born…different from everyone else, but I am." He turned away from Nico, "I most definitely am.”

Nico appeared content to wait for Bruce to get his thoughts in order. He was quiet, until Bruce finally turned back and spoke.

"I was born human. I was raised human. But, there was an…accident, years ago. I was a respected scientist, working with what's called gamma radiation." Bruce was so wrapped up in trying to explain his life to Nico that he missed the look of complete and utter confusion on his face. "Basically, I was trying to make soldiers more resistant to radiation, but the man who was in charge of my experiments had a different direction he wanted to go in. He was trying to recreate Captain America." This time, he glanced over at Nico, and noticed how lost he looked. "I'm sorry, I…what is confusing you?”

Nico looked ashamed at not knowing what Bruce was talking about. "I just…it's nothing. I've just never really studied happened in history past World War II.”

Bruce tried not to give him a weird look, but judging by Nico's face, he failed. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize.”

"I know, it's not your fault, Bruce. I just had an…unusual childhood.”

"Um, okay. Well, gamma radiation is too complicated to get into here, but it's very powerful stuff that will usually just kill people quickly. And Captain America was a man, back during World War II, who was injected with an experimental drug to try and create a super-soldier. They succeeded, and he proceeded to do quite a bit of damage to a secret Nazi organization. He disappeared before the war ended, though. As far as I know, they haven't found him yet. The man who was in charge of my experiments on gamma radiation, unknown to me, was leading them in such a way that they would recreate the super-soldier serum that created Captain America.

"But," Bruce took a deep breath. "Something went wrong. Something went terribly wrong. Instead of becoming the super soldier they wanted, I become a monster." Seeing Nico's look of disagreement he shook his head and responded, "No, really. I become something other than human. I transformed into a large, green humanoid creature that I had no control over. I hurt…” He paused, “I hurt a lot of people. That day, and every time since that I've lost control and turned into the…The Hulk, they called me. 'The Incredible Hulk'." He snorted, "As if there's anything incredible about turning into something capable of tearing down entire buildings and not being able to control it, at all.”

Bruce turned away from Nico again, not wanting to see his look of condemnation he knew would be there. "I tried to control myself, I tried to be a normal person. But it didn't work…I was found. So I," He took another deep breath, knowing he was ashamed of the actions that came next. "I ran. I ran away from everything I had ever known and came here. I hope that they will never find me again, although I know it's a useless hope. There's no way they'll let something this world-changing just…go. I'm just waiting for the day they send someone in to put me down.”

Nico stood up and walked around the tree to sit in front of Bruce. He waited until Bruce finally lifted his eyes to meet the young boy's own, which were suddenly reflecting the same pain that Bruce felt. "I understand. Really, I do. Children of Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon are extremely powerful, more powerful than any other demigod, and technically, I'm not supposed to be alive. Those three gods, they made a deal not to have any kids because we're too powerful." Nico suddenly got stiff, as if he was trying to keep his voice steady. "Zeus tried to kill me and my sister, and succeeded in killing my mom. Now there's a daughter of Zeus and son of Poseidon," here Nico's eyes suddenly darkened and the shadows seemed to pull in towards the son of Hades, “And they're still running around, and they're still alive. So there's less chance of Zeus just suddenly bringing a bolt of lightning down on my head now, but I'm always afraid of doing something wrong, of becoming too powerful, and Zeus just killing me, then and there. So I do get it, Bruce, I do. I'm sorry.”

The two males, one young and the other his elder, sat in the forest for hours, simply taking in the fact that the other understood. They didn't have to pretend that their lives were anything but complete and utter crap, and that they both had people who could come in at any moment and destroy the life they had built for themselves. They sat there, getting to know the other, their suspicions getting wiped away with each successive hour they spent in each other's company. They discussed each other's abilities; Nico's shadow traveling and his being able to summon skeleton warriors; Bruce told Nico about the things that he had done while the Hulk, and just how strong it was. They knew their time in each other's company wouldn't last, but they could take solace in the present moments. They told each other of their best moment, and their worst. They laughed and listened, even if it was strained. For eventually, they both knew, Nico would have to go back to America, and Bruce would have to keep moving, he would have to keep hiding, alone.


	4. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They part. Many feels. *sobs in a corner*

**Nico:**

Nico woke with a start, noticing that the shadows around him were longer and more absolute than they were when he and Bruce were talking. _Oh gods, did we fall asleep?_ Nico sat up immediately, well aware how vulnerable he was sleeping like that, but calmed down when he saw Bruce asleep next to him. Nico got a lump in his throat, thinking about how much he trusted the older man, even though he only met him yesterday. ' _That makes it a whole day since I shadow traveled here', Nico thought, 'I should go back, Minos is gonna give me an earful for not coming back immediately. And there's no way I'm telling him about Bruce; I can't betray him like that. Knowing Minos, he'd probably figure out a way to send the military here just so that I can't talk to Bruce anymore. And…I really enjoyed talking to him yesterday.'_ Nico took an awkward pause, remembering that he didn't even tell Bruce the whole story. 'I mean, maybe we didn't talk about the fact that I might be the child of the prophecy and that's why Zeus tried to kill me, or that I tried to kill Percy not even two months ago, but I'm just not ready to admit that yet.... I don't want him to think that I'm a monster.’

Bruce woke with a start, bringing Nico out of his thoughts. They looked at each other, wondering what the other was thinking. Neither wanted to have to leave the only person who truly understood what the other was going through. Nico really didn't want to leave Bruce, who, in the space of a few hours, had become the father figure Nico had always wanted. _Percy was supposed to be that for me. He was supposed to take care of Bianca and me, and he failed._ Nico fumed silently, _He let her die, and he let me leave, and he…he…I HATE him!_ Nico looked up, startling himself with the sudden, silent outburst of emotion and caught Bruce's look of concern.

"What's wrong Nico? You look so angry." Bruce asked gently, having figured out yesterday how broken Nico was under the armor he possessed.

Nico looked away, he couldn't talk about that, and he didn't want Bruce's pity, even if Bruce was a friend. Not yet, maybe not ever. He knew what he was feeling was wrong, and he didn't want to bring up one of his major flaws in front of a man he just desperately wanted to impress. Nico pushed the matter aside, "It's nothing. Just…something that happened a few months ago that I…I can't talk about yet.”

Bruce gently turned his face back around so they were eye to eye again. "I get it. There's things that I've done that I don't want you to know about yet either, so don't worry about it. But when you're ready to talk about it, or if it just gets to be too much, I'm here to listen.”

Looking at Bruce's concerned face, Nico tried not to give into his feelings and hug Bruce, after all, Nico thought awkwardly, he barely knew him! But, Nico added to himself, they shared a connection last night, and understood each other. Bruce must secretly have been psychic, because the older man pulled Nico into his arms and held him close. Now all Nico could think of was to not cry on Bruce, but that quickly went out the window when Bruce started speaking comforting nonsense into his ear, telling him that he was going to be okay, that he is here for him, and that no matter what anyone else says, he is a good person. Soon, Nico gave in, figuring that he wouldn't have much time left to spend in India with Bruce anyway.

Nico guesses that he cried into Bruce's comforting chest for close to an hour, based on how light it was getting. But all the anger he had been feeling towards Percy, and even towards Bianca, in that moment, it all seemed to flow right out with his tears. He knew it wouldn't last, and that as soon as he went back to Minos, he would become angry again. But for now, he took advantage of having an adult really care about him, and care about what he was feeling. Usually, they just assumed they knew what he was thinking and never asked him. Even Minos did it; and though it sometimes made him upset, sometimes it was nice not to have to make those decisions.

Bruce eventually gently pulled the boy off of him, and looked up at the sky. "It looks like the sun's coming up. And, whether or not we want it to, life has already gone on without us. I probably have patients waiting for me back in the village, and I'm sure someone is waiting for you to get back.”

Just then, Nico's stomach rumbled loudly, causing both males to laugh. "Although, I'm sure we have enough time for a quick breakfast," Bruce told the young boy, realizing he must not have eaten since the night before, when he first showed up in Bruce's apartment.

Nico nodded his head, looking forward to a meal. Besides, it meant he'd have more time to spend with Bruce! He ignores the little voice in the back if his head, reminding him about furious Minos waiting his return. They walked slowly back to Bruce's apartment, taking in the beautiful sunrise. When they made it back there were more than a dozen people lined up in front of Bruce's door, and Nico instinctively shrank back from them, not comfortable with large groups of strangers.

Bruce looked back at him, and seemed to understand. "Let me go tell them that I'll be able to see patients in an hour or so, and you can hang back until they leave. That sound all right?”

Nico nodded, and said softly, "Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Bruce smiled at him, and walked over to the people in waiting for him. Nico could not hear what was said, but a couple of the women and a man began to get really agitated, waving their arms about and shouting at Bruce, but the older man seemed to quickly calm them down and sent them on their way, probably promising to be at their homes after he finished his breakfast. They dispersed slowly, appearing to grumble but still respecting Bruce's privacy and his right to eat in peace.

When they were all gone, Nico walked up to Bruce's door, and, finding it open, walked up the stairs to the room he only vaguely remembered from the night he shadow traveled here. Bruce was already pouring some cereal into a couple of bowls. He finished quickly, apologized for not having any milk to pour into the cereal, and they both sat down at the rickety table near one of the walls. Neither spoke much while they ate, maybe trying to prolong the meal, maybe just trying to enjoy each other's company while it lasted.

The simple meal was over too quickly, at least in Nico's opinion, and the dishes cleaned all too soon. Nico looked up at Bruce, the skinny man who seemed larger than any other person he had ever met. Bruce was already more of a father to him than Hades ever was.

"I don't want to leave," Nico said quietly. He couldn't even lift up his head to meet Bruce's eyes, which he knew would only hold condemnation at his weakness. But Bruce gently lifted the boy's face up to meet the his own eyes. Nico saw the same sadness reflected back at him, much to his surprise. Bruce once again pulled him into a comforting hug, but allowed this one to last for only a few moments.

"I know Nico. I've never felt that anyone could understand what my life has been like, and I never wanted anyone to. But, I'm glad I met you. Life…it felt simpler yesterday. Just knowing that you get it. I hope that we see each other again." Bruce said, with the grief he was feeling evident on his face.

Nico nodded, unable to speak. He attempted to pour all the emotions he was feeling into the strained smile he gave Bruce; sadness, anger at having to leave, empathy for the older man, and a promise. A promise that he would come back. Stepping outside, he looked around the apartment building, and found a corner still shrouded in shadow. He stepped into it, and gave Bruce one last look of gratitude. Silently, in his head Nico brushed against a forbidden thought- that he wouldn't make it through the coming war, and that he, like his sister, would die soon. His real fear now, was not returning to Bruce. After all, it was a demigod's destiny to die young. "I'll be back. If you're gone, then I'll find you. Stay safe, Bruce. Please" Nico said, the last word was spoken softly, as if he was afraid of jinxing his wish by saying it too loud.

Bruce waved, unaware of Nico's fear for the moment. "You too, kid. You too." Bruce gave him one last, warm smile, and waved him goodbye. Nico closed his eyes, and dissolved into shadow, leaving behind the first person since his lost sister, that he knew truly loved him.

 


	5. Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce thinks about how much Nico has already impacted his life...and will!

**Bruce:**

The apartment seemed empty; Nico may not have been a particularly bubbly or happy child, but he had enjoyed having another person in his space. That surprised him, ever since the accident he had drawn himself away from the public, not letting anyone in too close in fear that they would push him away when the monster was revealed. But Nico, he was something different. He listened to the things that his other half had done, and never once seemed to judge him for it. In fact, the more that I shared with him, the more the boy relaxed. The more that he seemed to realize that Bruce was a safe person, and he did not have to be afraid of revealing something that normal people wouldn't understand.

Bruce had recognized the armor that Nico wore; the thick skin that only developed after doing something terrible and knowing that while it was justified or even needed, that it would forever be a weight to be borne. He also saw under the boy's armor with ease, and saw how alone and broken the child was. He saw the hesitation in his words, and in his actions. The way that Nico had looked at him in the forest, that still hour, before the morning came. Nico had tried to hide the subtle glances at him, the quiet screams for physical contact, for someone to say it was going to be okay. But Bruce had already seen through him, and knew that the only thing that would help Nico was to be like a father to him; a father that neither male had been given.

He wasn't sure if he actually believed Nico that the Greek gods existed, but he knew that Nico believed it, and the boy did not seem to be one for lying about something that earth-shattering. Nico had said that Mount Olympus was on top of the Empire State Building right now, and last Bruce knew, there was nothing on top of one of the tallest buildings in the United States but the sky and stars. But Bruce knew he was a human who, when angered, turned into an uncontrollable green monster that could destroy just about anything, so who was he to talk? Plus, he had seen the boy both appear and disappear through shadows, which was impossible no matter how you looked at it.

Whichever way Bruce looked at it, he only saw two possible answers. One, that Nico was telling the truth and he was actually the son of Hades, and the Greek gods are real. Two, Nico was actually a mutant, and was for some reason fabricated a lie to cover it up. Whether or not he wanted to believe it, Nico must be telling the truth about his heritage. Which posed the question: What does Bruce do with that information? Did he really need to do anything at all? He owed nothing to SHIELD or anyone else with them, but should he tell them about the possibility of a threat from ancient myths? Bruce himself was a threat, and Nico knew that he could be one too, if he used his power the wrong way. Bruce wouldn't have been surprised if they wanted to experiment on the boy if they knew the truth.

That thought brought him up short. They would, wouldn't they? The little Bruce had seen of SHIELD and their associates, they wouldn't hesitate to experiment on the ten-year old boy, for no other reason then to find out what made him tick. Bruce felt his thoughts come crashing down with realization. He couldn't do that to Nico, he couldn't betray his trust like that.

Nico had understood the monster inside him, and for some reason accepted it, and that Bruce was a kind person. The man wanted to prove Nico true, and decided to keep his knowledge of the Greek gods to himself unless they posed an immediate and legitimate problem to the public's way of life. Nodding to himself, he packed up his doctor's kit and set out to meet with the people who had waited outside of his door yesterday and today for him to heal their loved ones, determined to live up to the younger boy's expectations.

He grinned, thinking about what they had said to him. Or at least, what he thought they had said. They seemed to speak a sort of broken English mixed with a lot of (what he assumed was Telegu) phrases. He had picked up a couple of the common words (sick, cut, dying), but still relied on the context the few english words provided. But even with the language barriers in rural areas, he managed to earn the people's trust. The adults standing there had yelled at him for abandoning their sick children and dying spouses, and had each demanded he attend to theirs first. He had appeased them by saying that he had met a particularly sick boy who needed to be kept away from other humans, but only required a day's worth of attention before he was healed. They reluctantly bought his story (unless they were just confused due to the language barrier, and decided to leave the crazy doctor alone) and left to be with their children and spouses.

He only hoped that he would be able to save at least one person today. He would have to leave the village soon anyway, since he couldn't allow himself to stay in one place for too long; he wanted to leave having helped at least one more person. Too often of late he had lost more than he helped, but his encounter with the son of Hades (however ironic the situation seemed) had filled him a determination to do something that would make Nico proud. Something that would cause that genuine smile to cross the boy's face again, and make him feel happiness. From here on out, every patient he would save not only for his soul, but for Nico's.


	6. Nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to move this plot forward people! *shudders*

**Nico:**

Nico stumbled slightly as he pulled himself out of the shadows into a corridor of the Labyrinth. He was a short distance from the cavern where he knew Minos would be waiting for him, but that was on purpose. The tears he had been forcing back since he realized that he would have to leave Bruce finally pushed themselves to the surface and refused to forced back down. He cried silently, tears streaking down his face, until the hiccups started.

Not wanting Minos to hear him and show up while he was crying, Nico took several deep breaths and wiped his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. Benefit of wearing black, he thought grimly, no one will able to see the dampness. Once he knew his face was free of tear streaks and his eyes were no longer red, he walked down the narrow corridor into the large cavern at its end.

"Minos! Are you in here? Sorry it took me so long to get back here, but I went further than usual and needed more time to rest up." He paused, looking around the cavern for the tell-tale glimmer of Minos' ghost, but saw nothing. He sighed, all that worrying over Minos hearing him for nothing. He walked forward, stepping carefully over the scars on the floor that marked where he practiced summoning skeleton warriors. He walked past more Nico-sized indents on walls, where he shadow travelled directly into the side of the cavern at a fast velocity. Nico carefully passed the pool of sludge in the middle of the room where one day Minos would teach him how to summon other ghosts.

Shrugging, he made his way over to the mattress that he had brought down here some weeks ago, and decided that a nap was in order. He was still recovering from the longest shadow travel trip he had ever taken, and was emotionally drained from having to leave Bruce behind. He laid down, and closed his eyes, falling asleep faster then he thought he could.

_The dream starts in a familiar place, with a familiar story. Bianca is lying on the Poseidon table in the dining pavilion, with her eyes closed and body motionless. Nico stands a moment, frozen, and he tries to resist the urge to rush to his sister's side. He should be too familiar with the events that happen next to care, but he still tries, fruitlessly, to wake her up, to get his sister back. Before too long, he feels Percy's presence behind him. He whips around, and sure enough, there is the smug son of Poseidon, standing there as if he hadn't allowed Bianca to die. Nico can hear Percy telling him that he's sorry, that he didn't mean for Bianca to die, but Nico can hear the truth behind his words._ _Children of Hades are abominations, I don't know why I ever tried to like you, Nico. You should have died all those years ago, why did Hades protect you?_ _Voices swirled around him, adding to Percy's._ _You’re so pathetic, your own sister got tired of helping you after all those years. Why do you think she left you to join Artemis? You're so weak and trusting that you let your sister leave camp. You let Bianca die. You turned into a coward and retreated from the world to hang out with a ghost. You're a freak of nature, and you can't be trusted._

_Percy kept talking, beating Nico down with every word he spoke, until the younger boy got so angry that he couldn't hold it in anymore. He screamed, in anger and in pain, and skeleton warriors shot out of the ground, and without hesitation, began tearing Percy apart. Nico watched with morbid fascination, as every bit of Percy's flesh was torn off his body and flung away. There was nothing left of the son of Poseidon, except bones and pieces of his clothing. But Nico could still hear his mocking laughter, ringing in his ears._

_The skeletons dissolved back into the earth, and Nico knew he would wake up soon. He always woke up after they tore Percy apart. But this time he sensed another presence, someone he had never felt in his dreams before. Nico whipped around in fear with wide eyes. Bruce stepped out of the shadows that were surrounding Nico, and looked at him with nothing but condemnation in his eyes. Nico stared at the older man, with shock and pain written all over his face. "No! Bruce, wait! Please, let me explain!" Nico cried out, but Bruce just turned away from him. He walked away, each step covering ten times more than it should have. Nico ran after him, trying to explain but unable to get any coherent thoughts out beyond the screams. He felt the edges of his dream start to dissolve, and pushed himself to go faster. Bruce only got further and further away, never turning back to Nico once, never giving him a chance to explain._

Nico woke with a start, his throat feeling raw. He realized that Minos was standing next to the mattress, looking down at him with an inconvenienced glance. "You were screaming, young master. What might have brought that on?" Minos asked, with a false note of sympathy in his voice.

Nico looked away, unable to meet Minos' bored eyes. "I don't want to talk about it." He whispered harshly, his throat raw. "It was nothing." He stood up, still facing away from the ghost king.

"Whatever you say, young master." He heard Minos say from behind him.

Nico sighed and turned around, hearing the unasked question in that statement. "I took a trip to India on accident this time, okay? It took longer than usual to rest up enough to be able to come back. In fact, I'm still not rested enough to be able to do anything, so how about you just go away, okay?" His voice rose steadily as he explained himself, until he nearly shouted the last few words at the ghost standing in front of him.

"How dare you." Came the quiet, indignant words from the incorporeal form. "I have freely given you my time and my expertise to help you train for _your_ revenge," Nico winced, "And this is how you repay me! Ungrateful little brat!" Minos spit out the last words, his gaze darkening as he scowled at the child standing in front of him.

Nico flinched at the angry tone of voice. Regretting his previous choices, he tried to apologize, "Sorry. I just—I just had a bad dream. But I am actually really tired. Do you mind holding off the training until I'm rested?" He asked carefully, knowing how powerful Minos was down in the Labyrinth, and not wanting to get him any angrier. Even though he was unsure why he allowed Minos to train him, the ghost had proved himself useful ever since Nico ran away from Camp Half-Blood.

"Fine. If you want to waste another day, then that's not my problem." Minos didn't say another word to Nico's apologies, no matter what he said to try and make Minos understand.

Eventually the ghost king left Nico alone in the cavern, making the boy relieved and terrified at the same time. He knew that no matter what he did, he could never let Minos know about Bruce. He had made that decision back in India, but now, having talked (argued) with Minos again, his resolve was much stronger.

He also knew that no matter how much he trusted Bruce, he knew that the older man would only condemn him if he knew what he dreamed about at night. _I should be grateful that I did not have that dream while we were sleeping in the forest. There's no way I could have gotten myself out of that with my secrets intact._ He sighed. Knowing that there was someone out there who understood his pain and why he had to keep himself hidden from the world only made it harder to be alone.

The child, for that's all he was at the end of the day, laid back down on the mattress, and tried to get back to sleep, to forget about his problems for a few hours more. But sleep eluded him for some time, and his problems and his self-doubts only grew with each passing minute. Nico finally fell asleep, much to his chagrin. He only hoped that he didn't scream out loud this time, and make Minos even angrier. However, this time, the dream was different.

_He opened his eyes to see the grey-black tones of his father's throne room. Hades was not in the room, but Nico got the sense that he was not far. After all, demigods don't initiate these dream-calls. He waited for several minutes, only getting more and more agitated as time went on. Finally, the tall, intimidating man walked in from somewhere behind his throne. "Ah, Nico. There you are. I was afraid you were never going to fall asleep. Is there something on your mind that we should talk about?" Hades asked, noticing the dark look that seemed permanent on his face lately._

_Nico laughed, inwardly of course, no need to get his father upset at him. "No. There's nothing we need to talk about. Was there something you wanted with me?" Nico tried and failed to not be the sarcastic little brat he knew he could be. But at that moment, when he could have been dreaming of better things, instead stuck with a man who only perfunctorily cared about his safety, he was pretty mad._

_Hades narrowed his eyes, and replied, "That is no tone to take with me, boy. Remember who I am."_

_This time Nico laughed out loud. "Oh, I remember. You never let me forget. Just tell me, what did you call me in here to say?"_

_Hades, King of the Underworld, God of the Dead, sighed. His son was more on the offensive than ever, and he had no idea what had brought it on. Minos had come to him after Nico had been missing for more than twelve hours, and Hades had not been able to locate his son anywhere in the United States. It seemed that the boy was not going to tell him where he had been, nor say why he was more riled up than the last time they had seen each other. "I want you to come down to the Underworld for a little while. There's something that I want to teach you."_

_"Won't Minos teach me? He has, after all, been the one telling me what it means to be your son." Nico spat, not wanting anything to do with man in front of him at the moment._

_Hades sighed heavily, walking over to his throne and sitting down thoughtfully upon it. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make Nico understand why he could not teach his son himself. But he had to try. "Nico, as one of the Elder Gods, I cannot show favoritism like that. None of my brothers or sisters train their own children, so neither can I. But there is one matter which Minos is unable to teach you, as he does not understand this power within you."_

_Nico looked at him warily, trying to decide whether or not he cared enough about this conversation to argue with his father. He eventually decided that he did not, and so simply replied. "Fine, whatever. I'll come down when I wake up." He turned away, but suddenly felt Hades' hand upon his right shoulder._

_"Wait, son. Please. I know something happened while you were missing," Nico turned furiously around, "And I know you don't want to talk about it. But, I can't tell if it was a good experience or not. Just tell me, did anything bad happen wherever you were?"_

_Nico smiled darkly, already thinking of what he could do to punish that impertinent ghost who dared to tell on him. He looked up at his father, who recoiled at the barely-hidden pain behind Nico's armored eyes, "Nothing bad happened. In fact, it was the best day of my life." This time, when Nico turned around to walk away and out of the dream, Hades didn't say or do anything to stop him. In fact, if Nico had turned back around, he would have seen The God the Dead staring after him with shock openly plastered on his face._

When Nico woke up again, Minos was still gone. He growled; that ghost was going in for a world of pain when he saw him next. Maybe that's why he was gone, because he knew that Nico would be upset at Minos' actions and would want to express his displeasure. Tears suddenly appeared in the corners of his eyes, unbidden, unwanted. Somewhere deep inside of himself, Nico had secretly wanted to have someone around when he woke up, even if that someone was an obnoxious ghost. This was new for him, for he usually he preferred sleeping alone. After Bianca had left and Percy betrayed his trust, the idea of sleeping with someone else in the same room, being that vulnerable, scared Nico more than anything. But now…now he knew someone that he would trust with anything; even to keep him safe while he slept.

He shook his head, this was not the time nor the place to get sentimental over something he can't change at the moment. He stood up, his muscles less creaky now that he was not spending the night on the forest ground. His knees complained as he walked around. There was some money on the stool next to his mattress, which meant that Minos must have come in at some point while he was sleeping and decided to leave before he woke up. Nico decided to go ahead and take the money for what it was, a peace offering, go aboveground to get some breakfast, and then head downstairs to find out what his dad wanted to teach him that Minos could not.

One McDonalds breakfast later (because he can never resist a Happy Meal), and he found a quiet alley through which he shadow traveled down to the Underworld. He always got a weird feeling going down there; a mixture of elatedness and fear. The feeling was familiar, yet foreign to Nico. But other than him, the atmosphere struck fear deep into every person's heart who came down here, alive or not. The boy usually felt more at home here, but this time, he just felt annoyed. He didn't want to be reminded of the man he had just left behind and couldn't tell anyone about, especially not by another man who was supposed to be his father.

He had landed not far from Hades' palace, exactly where he aimed for. That gave him time to settle his thoughts and at least pretend to be happy to see Hades. The walk was dim and gloomy, just as the Underworld always was. He saw two of the Furies flying far away from where he was, and wondered idly where the third one was. The gate loomed before him too soon, and opened slowly, responding to the underworld prince's touch.

The maze of hallways always succeeded in getting Nico at least a little bit lost, but he soon found the door leading into Hades' throne room, where he assumed his father was. As he was about to pass through the door, one of the many carvings caught his eye. He stilled, taking in the image with a quiet panic in his heart. The image showed New York City, and a large, humanoid creature. There were no colors in the carving, but Nico guessed that if there were, the creature would be green. Bruce had refused to transform for Nico, but the young boy guessed that he probably looked like that. The Hulk was in the process of destroying a skyscraper, with images of helpless mortals lying around his feet, and unrecognizable creatures flying above him on some sort of vehicle.

It was not clear what was happening in the carving; whether Bruce was trying to save the humans from the other creatures, or the creatures are there to stop the Hulk from hurting more mortals. Nico gulped and hoped desperately that the image was not actually of his friend, but was simply some other large humanoid creature.

But he had no time to dwell on the future, and walked with a confidence he did not feel into the throne room. Just as he had guessed, Hades was sitting on his throne, waiting for his son. The tall, foreboding man stood up as Nico walked into the room. "Hello Nico."

Nico simply scowled at him in response. Now that he was in his father's presence again, and could compare his demeanor, his attitude, his presence, to Bruce; Hades didn't even compare. But, Hades is his father, and apparently had something useful to tell him. Nico finally said, "I'm here. Whats so important to teach me that I had to come down here?"

Hades face fell, something that did not happen often. Most often, he kept his expressions under tight control, except when he was with his children. He had always had a soft spot for Nico and Bianca, and it hurt him to see Nico so broken from the loss of his sister. But he quickly got his face back under control and gestured for his son to follow out into one of the training rooms scattered throughout the castle.

Nico followed, albeit reluctantly but stopped short at the sight of the massive hellhound sitting in the middle of the weaponless room, almost as tall as a truck. "What's the meaning of this? Why is there one of those vicious dogs in here?"

Hades looked personally offended at Nico's question, and the hound somehow seemed to take offense at the words too. "That is a hellhound, and it is not vicious unless I want it to be. And you, as my son, have control over them as well, which is what I want to teach you today." Hades announced.

Nico stared at his father, taking in what he had just said. He had control over the freaking hellhounds? He had no idea what he was expecting when he came down here, but learning that he had control over the feared hounds of hell was not it. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Why would I even want to know how to control the hellhounds? I have no use for them.” He slowly moved towards the hound still sitting quietly in front of him.

Hades stood there and watched him, waiting until his son turned back around to him before answering his question. “The hellhounds have several uses which in these coming days, you may find useful. As you mentioned, they are particularly vicious when they want to be, which makes them extremely helpful in war.” Hades looked at his son purposely, making certain he realized exactly what he was saying. Nico’s face fell, feeling the weight of what he was just told. “They are also capable of shadow traveling, which means if you ever need to travel long distances you can travel on them, instead of using your own energy.”

Here Nico suddenly got really excited and looked at the hellhound with longing in his eyes. Hades wondered once more what happened to his son while he was missing. Minos had told him that Nico explained he had traveled to India, which made Hades a little bit apprehensive, since the gods had never taken up residence there. But Nico looked as if he was anxious to go back, using the hellhounds as transportation. Hades mildly regretted showing this particular power to Nico, but knew that in the war coming fast, Nico would need every advantage he could give him. He hoped that the benefits would outweigh whatever Nico was planning to do with this new information.

“Hound, come here.” Hades commanded the hellhound, who immediately stood up and strode over to them, whimpering slightly he came near the master of all his kind. “Nico, this hellhound will be your personal one, which means if you ever call a hound, this one will always be the first to answer your call. You can name it if you wish, but that is unnecessary. He will obey your every order, but be careful. They are ruthless killers , and if given any leeway will turn around and destroy you. Always state your order explicitly and leave no room for interpretation. Do you understand?” He kept an eye on the hellhound, making sure it understood what was expected of it. He had given the hound its orders earlier, before Nico came in, but wanted to ensure that he had not overlooked anything.

“Yeah, I got it.” Nico replied, looking at the hound with excited expectation in his eye. 

“Good. I will leave you to test your control over the hellhound. Be careful, and call if you need anything.” Hades was trying to be a concerned parent, he really was. He owed his neglected son that much, at least.

 Nico didn’t even look at him again as the king of the Underworld strode out of the training room, but not before leaving with one more concerned look at his son. “Hey there. You need a name, humongous thing. How about…Shadow?” The hellhound looked at him with a curious face. “Yeah, I think that’s a good name for you.” The hound seemed to disagree with him, but Nico just kept talking. “So, Shadow, you’re mine huh?” It might have been his imagination, but the hound seemed to nod his gigantic head. Nico had always felt small, especially since he was still fairly young, but he felt absolutely tiny next to the hellhound. He understood the need for explicit commands, because if he gave this thing any room to maneuver, there was no way he could ever stop it from ripping him to shreds. 

“I wonder…just how far can you go? Could you make it all the way to India?” He asked softly, creeping ever closer to Shadow.  This time, the hound seemed to shake its head ‘no’, which disappointed Nico. “Okay, that makes sense. It’s a long way over there. But could you get me over the ocean at least?” It was definitely not Nico’s imagination this time when Shadow nodded its massive head, coming dangerously close to hitting Nico’s head. At least it wasn’t slobbering all over the place, he thought with a laugh. 

_This could work_ , Nico thought happily. _I could shadow travel myself to California, then Shadow could hop me over the ocean, then I could probably make it to India on my own strength. I would probably still pass out when I got to Bruce, but_ … _but that would be okay_. Even though he had realized already that he implicitly trusted Bruce, thinking about putting that trust into action was a different story. But, he realized, it didn’t scare him as much as it could. 

A large smile on his face, Nico walked out of the room, telling Shadow that he would probably need call him soon and to be prepared. He walked past his father’s throne room, where Hades was conspicuously absent, and decided to go ahead and just go back upstairs to the cavern. Hopefully Minos wasn’t back yet, or else executing his tenuous plan would become much harder. But he made it back up to the Labyrinth without any problems, and Minos still wasn’t back. He smiled, gathering up food and supplies for his next trip back overseas. 


End file.
